A Second Chance
by astral365
Summary: Your debut race is nerve-wracking enough, but what if your first taste of F-Zero was in the big crash four years ago?


Generic disclaimer: I don't own F-Zero or any of its characters. That honour goes to Nintendo and Sega for making the awesome F-Zero GX. This is the first time I've attempted fanfiction, let me know what you think of it!

* * *

He was still sitting by the window with a vacant stare.

He remembered it all - the build-up to the race, the laughing and joking with the other pilots beforehand, the way that he got more and more excited as the start drew nearer.

His first F-Zero race.

And before he knew it, he was on the grid. As a new pilot, he started at the back - that was fair enough, everyone played by the same rules. Warming up the engines at the five-minute mark, he remembered how surreal it had felt - here he was, thousands of miles from home in the Aeropolis - but not just as a tourist this time. Today, he was part of the attraction. He half-smiled as he remembered how scared he was, when he found out his debut was on the infamous Dragon Slope circuit. All those months of practicing control over big drops would pay off, but it was still a pretty daunting prospect.

Three - Two - One - GO!

He'd been caught out at the start and got away slower than the machines around him, but soon caught up again. He'd set the car up for top speed, which wasn't ideal for the circuit overall but certainly helped down the straights. Before long, he was mixing it with the names he'd idolised all his life - Samurai Goroh, Jack Levin, Beastman... and then came the words he'd been longing to hear.

"You got boost power!"

Immediately he hit the booster, but so did everyone else around him as the field screamed into the first corner. The Queen Meteor shot past on the inside, surprising him. The Flying Merlin got hit from the side by someone, but he managed to catch it and threw the machine into the next tight right-hander.

Although he was running near the back and being bashed around like no tomorrow, he was having the time of his life. Even when he accidentally hit the booster and then careered over two speed plates before launching off the huge set of drops at the back of the circuit, he loved the thrill of fighting for control. Slicing through the air. Breaking the speed of sound repeatedly. Always trying to catch his breath, but simultaneously pushing the machine harder and harder, extracting every last ounce of speed.

Then a flash of red... and nothing.

He still couldn't remember what had happened next. One moment he was fulfilling his life ambition, the next he was in a hospital bed. The TV footage clearly showed the Red Gazelle lying side-on across the track, and the sound was definitely that of someone crying out in horror as the field hurtled round a blind corner straight for the stricken machine. The crash itself was simply too awful for words. He had seen the wreck of his machine slew sideways, under the barrier and out of the picture. The thought of him being in it at the time was enough to make him vomit. That he survived the crash was simply unbelievable! He thanked his lucky stars again for surviving, and then cursed them for this cruel second chance he had.

As soon as he had tried to speak on that afternoon in the hospital, the doctor had come rushing to his side. He remembered the warm embrace of his girlfriend as she sobbed into his chest. The confusion in his mind was all too apparent at the time, but he was alive.

And then the doctor told him.

His injuries were so severe that it could take him up to a year to recover. and even then, there was a chance he may never be able to race again. There was no way that he could take the thought of not racing again. The entire series had temporarily been suspended because of his crash. He had finally reached GX status, only to have it snatched away from him so soon? How is this fair? The emotion came back to him again, and he was once again on the verge of tears.

He finally broke his stare from the window, and turned his wheelchair to the door to see who had entered. The doctor gave him a small smile as he walked over to him.

"I have good news and bad news, Rook. Which would you like first?"

Rook had no hesitation. "Good news first please, Doc."

"I thought you might go for that. The good news is that your injuries are healing much better than we anticipated, and within three months you won't need the wheelchair at all."

Rook screamed with joy. "That's the best news I've had for ages!" He tried to get up to hug the doctor, but almost fell out of his chair. "Thank you, Doctor. I have a question, though."

"What is it?"

"Well after the accident, you mentioned that I might not be able to race again. Does it still look that way now?"

"Hmm... there's no reason why you can't race one again once you're better, but another crash like that could very well kill you. That was my bad news - although you can race again, you'll have to be extremely careful. And that's just not an option for you speed freaks, is it?" he said, with a wink.

Rook thought for a moment. Was it worth entering the races if there was an even greater risk attached? his mind was made up instantly. The series restarts early next year, so he had another six months to prepare. No matter what the risks involved were, he had to race again. He was hopelessly addicted to the adrenaline rush of F-Zero racing, and there was nothing that would stop him from getting back in the cockpit.

* * *

to be continued if I feel like it 


End file.
